Oldest governors elected since 1900
Looking for who is in office right now rather than the all-time record? See Oldest sitting governors.
Who was the oldest governor ever elected?
Among governors elected since 1900 (the era of complete birth records), Walter Samuel Goodland of Wisconsin is the oldest: 83 on Election Day in 1946 (he died in office the next year, still the state’s oldest governor). Kay Ivey of Alabama is next, re-elected at 78 in 2022, followed by California’s Jerry Brown, elected to a fourth term at 76 in 2014.
| # | Governor | Age at election | Elected | Seat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walter Samuel GoodlandR | 83 | 1946 | Wisconsin |
| 2 | Kay IveyR | 78 | 2022 | Alabama |
| 3 | Jerry BrownD | 76 | 2014 | California |
| 4 | Henry D. McMasterR | 75 | 2022 | South Carolina |
| 5 | Mike DeWineR | 75 | 2022 | Ohio |
| 6 | John E. WeeksR | 75 | 1928 | Vermont |
| 7 | Janet MillsD | 74 | 2022 | Maine |
| 8 | Cecil H. UnderwoodR | 74 | 1996 | West Virginia |
| 9 | Wilbur Lucius CrossD | 74 | 1936 | Connecticut |
| 10 | Marcus H. HolcombR | 73 | 1918 | Connecticut |
| 11 | James B. McCrearyD | 73 | 1911 | Kentucky |
| 12 | Laura KellyD | 72 | 2022 | Kansas |
| 13 | Butch OtterR | 72 | 2014 | Idaho |
| 14 | Nathan DealR | 72 | 2014 | Georgia |
| 15 | Neil AbercrombieD | 72 | 2010 | Hawaii |
| 16 | Bruce SundlunD | 72 | 1992 | Rhode Island |
| 17 | Aram J. PothierR | 72 | 1926 | Rhode Island |
| 18 | Alfred A. TaylorR | 72 | 1920 | Tennessee |
| 19 | Percival W. ClementR | 72 | 1918 | Vermont |
| 20 | Simeon E. BaldwinD | 72 | 1912 | Connecticut |
| 21 | Dan McKeeD | 71 | 2022 | Rhode Island |
| 22 | Tony EversD | 71 | 2022 | Wisconsin |
| 23 | Robert J. BentleyR | 71 | 2014 | Alabama |
| 24 | Wally HickelA | 71 | 1990 | Alaska |
| 25 | Charles H. MartinD | 71 | 1934 | Oregon |
How this ranking is measured
Governors ranked by their age on Election Day at the oldest election they won, among those elected since 1900 (the era of complete birth records). The list runs to late-career and returning governors such as Alabama’s Kay Ivey and California’s Jerry Brown, who was elected to a fourth term in 2014 at 76, four decades after his first.